Yeah, I would *think* a decent sailmaker wouldn't make that mistake... I'm sure you can't assume too much these days, but dacron comes in a multitude of thicknesses, and the main thing I would expect a boat owner to furnish the sailmaker with would be brand/model of furler so they know how to make the thing fit.

Yes I agree. Clearly there are advantages to having a local sailmaker involved in the process rather than saving a buck and ordering online! Fortunately the owner has a stupidly large amount of disposable income and didn't seem to care very much when things didn't work out very well...

We have a Hood main furler and a Hood sail that has worked out tremendously for us. The sail was far from new when we bought the boat but looked like it still had some life in it. We thought we would get a new sail in a year or so. That was 30,000 miles ago and the sail is still ok with only two repairs for chafe issues. I know that Hood has a good reputation for polyester sail cloth and I am a believer.

__________________
Heading back to Lake Ontario for this summer. Relatively few stops along the way from Grenada. Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Martin (must have something to do with the French food), then Bermuda, New England and up the Hudson/Erie Canal. We were going to go via Newfoundland and Labrador but June remembered that one of the kids is getting married this summer - details, details!

We have a Hood main furler and a Hood sail that has worked out tremendously for us. The sail was far from new when we bought the boat but looked like it still had some life in it. We thought we would get a new sail in a year or so. That was 30,000 miles ago and the sail is still ok with only two repairs for chafe issues. I know that Hood has a good reputation for polyester sail cloth and I am a believer.

Thanks for the replies.
We also have the Hood in mast furling system.
I definitely do not want a heavier than necessary sail and I have indeed kept in mind that there is a finite space to roll it up into.
killarney_sailor; What cut is the sail? That is what I think will make or break the next main sail we buy.
I really wish I was somewhere where we had a choice of sail makers, but here in the West Indies, I think I'm going to have to detail my exact specifications, rather than rely on their talents.
This is my second experience with HR and I must say I'm less than impressed. My last experience, in Charleston, after delivering a new suit of sails to an 84' schooner, they sped off, never once seeing their sails in use.
I wish Peter Sutter was still building sails (in SF Bay area), he was a master sail maker and a true gentleman; I doubt he ever built a sail he didn't sail with the first time it was used.

Don't know the technical description, but the cut is very simple with parallel panels. It does not have the obvious signs of reinforcement that you see on many sails but obviously the sail is very strong so the cloth itself seems to be the secret. Certainly we have not babied the sail and frequently reef the main to help the balance with the Monitor, think 5 and a half reefs.

__________________
Heading back to Lake Ontario for this summer. Relatively few stops along the way from Grenada. Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Martin (must have something to do with the French food), then Bermuda, New England and up the Hudson/Erie Canal. We were going to go via Newfoundland and Labrador but June remembered that one of the kids is getting married this summer - details, details!

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